Shoe machine



March 10, 1925. 1,529,049 E. WINKLEY snot mam fori' mii Filed Jan. 25. 1913 frwezzion' Patented Mar. 10, 1925..

UNITED srA'ras PATENT ounce EMS'IUS E. WINKLEY}, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '10 UNrrmJ SHOE 1IA- CEIN'EIBY conronArIoN, or PATERSON, NEW messy, A COMORATION or NEW JERSEY.

snon MACHINE.

Original application Med January 25, 1918, .Serial No. 218,888. mum and this application. iled February 27, 1920.

T0 (.171 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS E. WINKLEY,

a citizen of the United States. residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear. and exact description of the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to -which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for making boots and shoes. and it has special reference to such machines as are adapted for the production of regular and wellshaped heel ends of boots and shoes.

In the commercial manufacture of boots and shoes, it has heretofore been customary to attach a rough heel to the heel-seat portion of the outsole. after which a definitely shaped. condensed top-lift is spanked on. The rough heel and the heel seat edge of the outsole are then trimmed or shaved to their final size and form by means of a cutter. the movements of which are prescribed and determined through the agency of guide members that cooperatively engage the edge of the top-lift and crease of the heel-seat between the upper and the outsole. In this process of manufacture the ultimate appearance of the heel end of the shoe depends upon the accuracy of the position of the toplift relative to the heel seat and the size and contour of the top-lift and heel crease. The heel crease is rarely perfectly regular but is generally distorted and somewhat uneven, and is practically always affected by the back seam of the shoe. Moreover, the top-lift is very apt to be located slightly off centre.

The result of controlling the trimming operation from the top-lift and heel crease as guides, therefore, is to produce non-uniform shoes, the heel ends of which are more or less irregular, distorted and lop-sided in shape.

One of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the difliculties Serial No. 61,842.

that have been encountered in the past, and to provide an improved, simple and inexpensive machine for producing heel ends of boots' and shoes that shall be regular, uniform, and substantially perfect in size and form when the shoes are finally finished. In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to employ heels that, before attachment to the shoe, are made to definite, regular and final size and shape, preferably, although not necessarily, as set forth in a co-pending application Serial No. 213,681, filed by the present applicant on January 25, 1918 and renewed June 20, 1923. -These heels are accurately positioned with respect to the shoe itself and may even, if desired, be; attached to the heel-seat of the outsole, after which the unfinished heel-seat of the outsole is fitted, as by being trimmed and randed, to the definitely shaped heel as a pattern by means of a suitable cutter that is properly positioned with respect to the shaped heel by a gaging device that cooperatively engages the lateral surface of its body contiguous to the seat face of the heel. The trimmed and randed heel-seat and the heel may be. in some kinds of shoes, later scoured and finally finished together in accordance with customary practice.

Other objects of the invention and features thereof by which they are attained will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a view, in side elevation, of a boot or shoe prising an unfinished outsole 12 and a heel 14 and .to -lift 16 of final size and shape, is clampe in position upon a support 20, the peripheral portion of the heel-seat 22 of the outsole 12 being trimmed by means of a rotary cutter 24 that is definitely positioned relatively to the heel endot the outsole during the trimming operation through the agency of a gage or guide 26 that cooperatively engages the heel seat portion of the lateral surface of the definitely shaped heel 14 which serves as a pattern or templet.

The shoe 10 may be of any type of construction, having a rough, unfinished outsole secured thereto. The heel 14 is preferably treated and compressed to final size and form in the manner set forth in the above mentioned co-pending application, Serial No. 213,681 and it is properly centered with respect to the shoe and attached to the heel-seat portion 22 of the outsole 12 in the ordinary manner, a top-11ft 16, also of final size and form, being spanked on or otherwise suitably positioned.

The support 20 for holding the shoe during the trimming operation constitutes a plate that is rigidly associated with a supporting post 28 and is provided with edge clamps 30, an adjustable breast guide '32 for positioning the heel, and a clamping foot 34 that is disposed within the shoe and acts to firmly clamp the shoe to the support 20. It will be understood that the illustrated clamping support is not essential as any supporting means which is adapted to position the heel-seat of the outsole intrimming relation to the cutter is within the scope of the invention.

The rotary cutter 24 is provided with a hub 35 that is rotatably mounted upon a stud 36 which is carried by a supporting arm 38, and said cutter 24 may be provided with an upper projecting cutting portion or lip 42 for bevehng or cutting the randing 44 on the upper edge of the heelseat portion 22 of the outsole 12. The

means for trimmin the periphery of the "outsole is constituted by a slightly inclined,

main cutting portion 46. The cutter 24 is of substantially the same width as the edge of the heel end of the outsole and is adapted to trim the outsole only. A pulley 48 is fixedly secured to the hub 35, and a belt 50 cooperates therewith to rotate the cutter 24 at high speed.

Beneath the cutter 24and loosely mounted upon the hub '35 above the pulley 48, is the cutter gage, in the form of a ring 26,

the periphery of which has the same in-' clination as that of the main cutting portion 46 of the cutter and extends in alinement therewith. The periphery of the gage 26 is adapted to engage the lateral surface of th definitely shaped. and formed heel 14 at the edge of the heel-seat and, thereby, to definitely position the cutter 24 and control the amount of stock removed by it during the trimming operation, to the end thatthe periphery of the heel-seat portion 22 of the outsole is trimmed, and randed if desired, to the shaped heel as a pattern. In order to protect the upper -52 of the shoe 10 from being injured during the trimming operation, a disk or shield 54 is loosely mounted above the cutter 24 upon a screw 56 which is threaded into the end of the stud 36, and the edge of this shield projects into the heel-seat crease and serves as a barrier for the intended purpose.

During the trimming operation, relative bodily movement between the shoe 10 and the cutter 24 is effected in anv suitable manner, it being within the contemplation of the invention that either or both the shoe and cutter be rotated.

By reason of trimming and randing the heel-seat portion 22 of the outsole to the contour of the definitely shaped and formed heel as a pattern. it is evident that a correspondingl-y definiteh shaped outsole, heelseat and randing will be insured. The heelseat portion 22. heel 14 and top-lift 16 in some kinds of shoes are subsequently lightly scoured and otherwise finished in accordance with well-known practice. Thus, regular, well-formed and substantially perfect heel ends are uniformly produced upon shoes that are operated upon through the agency of the means embodying the present invention.

Modifications may be made in the structure hereinbefore set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 1

Having thusv described the preferred embodiment of the invention, that which is claimed as new is:

1. A shoe machine for operating upon boots and shoes having an outsole. and a heel of final size and shape attached having, in combination, means for supporting a shoe, and means for trimming the heelseat of the outsole to the contour of the heel-seat end of the heel as a pattern.

2. A shoe machine for operating upon boots and shoes having outsoles and heels attached having, in combination. means for supporting a. shoe, means for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole, and means for engaging the lateral surface of the heel contiguous to the outsole and guiding the trimming means as it acts upon the outsole.

3. A shoe machine for operating upon boots'and' shoes having outsoles and heels attached having, in combination. means for supporting a shoe, means for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole and cutting the randmg,' and means cooperating w the.

' ing, in combination, means for supporting a shoe, means for t-rinnning the heel-scat of the outsole to the contour of the heel seat end of the heel, and means projecting into the heel-seat crease for protecting the upper from injury during the trimming operation. Y

5. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of a boot or shoe having an outsole and a heel attached having, in combination, means for supporting the shoe, a heel-seat cutter, and means for engaging the lateral surface of the heel adjacent the outsole to guide the cutter in trimming the heel-seat to the contour of the heel. I i

6. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of a boot or shoe having an outsole and a heel attached having, in combination, means for supporting the shoe, a heel-seat cutter, and means for engaging the lateral surface of the heel and guiding the cutter as it acts on the heel-seat, said means constituting the only guiding means for said cutter.

7. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of a boot or shoe having an putsole, and a heel of final size and shape attached having, in combination, a trimming cutter shaped to trim the heel-seat edge to the contour of the lateral surface of the heel .just below it, a guide adjacent the cutter to bear on said lateral surface of the shaped heel, the hearing surface of said guide being in alinement with the cutting edge of said cutter, and a support for positioning the shoe relatively to said cutter and guide.

8. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of a boot or shoe having an outsole, and a heel of final size and shape attached having, in combination, a rotary cutter of a width to trim only the edge of the heel-seat, a rotary guide adjacent the cutter, and means for supporting the shoe in position with the lateral surface of the shaped heel engaged by said guide and the outsole in trimming relation to said cutter.

the lateral surface of the heel to said guide. 1

10. A shoe machine for operating upon boots and shoes comprising an outsole and heel in position on the insole and upper having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a rotary guide adjacent thereto, and means for sup porting the shoe and presenting the edge of the heel-seat of the outsole to said cutter and the adjacent lateral surface of the heel to the guide.

11. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole of a shoe to fit a previouslyshaped heel comprisng, in combination, a trimming cutter to operate on an outsole attached to a shoe, a support for a shaped heel ina definite relation to the shoe, and a gaging device to engage the heel at the edge of the heel-seat and to control the relative positions of the shoe and the cutter to fit the sole to the heel.

12. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole of a shoe to fit a previouslyshaped heel comprsing, in combination, a trimming cutter to operate on an outsole, a support for a shaped heel in a definite relation to the shoe, and a gage in a definite relation to the cutter to engage the edge of the heel-seat of a heel on the support and constructed and arranged to control the relative positions of the sole and cutter to cause the sole to be trimmed according to the heel.

13. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole of a shoe to fit a previouslyshaped heel comprising, in combination, a rotary cutter and driving means to operate it at a high speed to trim an outsole attached to a shoe, a support for a shaped heel definitely positioned with respect to the shoe, and gaging and controlling means to engage the heel at the edge of the heel-seat and to control the operation of the cutter on the sole to cause it to be trimmed to fit the heel-seat of the heel.

14. A machine for trimming the heel-seat of the outsole of a shoe to fit a reviouslyshaped heel comprising, in com ination, a rotary cutter and driving means to operate it at a high speed to trim the periphery of an outsole attached to a shoe, a support for a shaped heel definitely positioned with respect to the shoe, and gaging and controlling means including a gage correspondingly positioned with respect to the cutter to engage the heel at the edge of the heel-seat and to control the operation of the cutter on the sole to cause it to operate about the periphery of the sole in a manner to fit the heel-seat of the heel.

15. A machine for operating upon shoes having, in combination, means for removing surplus stock from the periphery of the heel seat of the sole of a shoe to trim the sole to correspond to a heel, and means for controlling the quantity of stock removed through engagement with the edge of the heel seat portion of a previously shaped heel.

16. A machine for operating upon shoes g, n combinati n, a cu t r a r g d to remove surplus stock .from the periphery of thehcel seat of the outsole of a shoe, and a gage arranged to control the removal of the stock by engagement w1th the edge of the heel seat portionof a substantially completed heel.

17. A machine for removing surplus stock from the heel-seat of the outsole of a shoe to -fit a previously-shaped heel comprising,

in combination, a cutter to operate on an 10 outsole attached to a shoe, means for su porting a previously-shaped heel in a de 4 nite relation to the shoe, and a gaging device to engage the heel at the edge of its heel-seat and cooperating with sand cutter 15 to control the amount of stock removed thereby from the heel-seat of the outsole.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY. 

